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Fairfield: 4 Hospitalized, 1 Arrested in DUI Crash Near I-680

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

A 20-year-old man was arrested Tuesday in Fairfield after a drunk driving accident that resulted in all four of his passengers being hospitalized. Three of them suffered major injuries.

• Five people, all under age 21, were traveling in a speeding car. The driver was drunk and crashed the car into a tree at 80 mph.

• All four passengers were hospitalized, three with major injuries. One of them suffered severe head injuries and was airlifted via helicopter to a Level II trauma center.

• The driver was cleared by an emergency room doctor and then arrested on felony drunk driving charges.

The solo-vehicle accident occurred at 1:19 p.m., according to a report in the Vacaville Reporter.

California Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Hekker said Fairfield resident Victor Alde was driving about 80 mph in a 65 mph zone when he crashed his 2008 Dodge Charger into a tree on Ramsey Road, off Interstate 680.

Alde and four friends had been drinking at a friend’s home. They had driven to a gas station on Lopes Road and were returning back to their friend’s house when the accident happened, Hekker said. Alde was speeding on a straight stretch of Ramsey Road when his car suddenly veered off the road near Gold Hill Road.

The car plowed through nearly 100 feet of fencing before it crashed head-on into a tree.

There were four passengers in the car, all of them airfield residents. Sukhpreet Singh, age 20, was sitting in the middle of the back seat and was not wearing a seat belt. He was thrown into the front seat and then through the windshield. He suffered major head injuries and was airlifted via helicopter to John Muir Medical Center, a Level II trauma center in Walnut Creek.

Michael Valdueza and Timothy Beaver, both age 20, also were sitting in the back seat. Valdueza suffered major injuries to his face and chest. Beaver suffered major hip injuries and lacerations on his hands. Both victims were taken by ground ambulance to North Bay Medical Center in Fairfield.

Christopher Valdueza, age 19, was sitting in the front seat with Alde. He suffered back and neck injuries that Hekker described as moderate. He also was taken by round ambulance to North Bay Medical Center.

CHP officers took Alde to North Bay Medical Center to be examined by a doctor. Alde was cleared and released to police custody. He was then arrested and booked into Solano County Jail. He was charged with felony driving under the influence resulting in major injury, Hekker said.

Fairfield Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented drunk driving accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Tags: auto accident, back injury, Blackman Legal Group, brain injury, California, California accident lawyers, car accident, car accident lawyer, Clifford Blackman, driving under the influence, drunk driving, drunk driving accidents, DUI crash, neck injury
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Morgan Hill: 1 Day, 4 Car Accidents, 3 Hospitalized

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

Three people were hospitalized in four separate car accidents Wednesday in Morgan Hill.

• A truck driver who apparently was under the influence of an illegal substance drove his truck off of Highway 101. The truck overturned. The driver suffered a major head injury.

• A motorcyclist crashed into a car on another street and was thrown onto its windshield. He also suffered a major head injury as well as a broken leg. Again, police said driving under the influence was a factor.

• A fender bender on another part of Highway 101 caused minor damage but no injuries.

• Three Hondas were involved in a double rear-ender next to the scene of the first accident. A passenger in one of the vehicles was hospitalized.

The first accident occurred at 2 p.m. on Highway 101, according to a report in Morgan Hill Times.

California Highway Patrol officer Ken Foster said 37-year-old San Jose resident Roy Nutt was driving a six-wheeled box truck northbound on Highway 101 at the time of the crash. Foster said the truck went off of the road for unknown reasons just south of Coyote Creek Golf Drive. It overturned next to the highway. Nutt was partially ejected from the truck. He had a cut on his forehead.

James Herron, a witness who was driving a few car-lengths behind the box truck, said it did not appear that the accident was a result of any other motorist or obstruction in the road. Herron stopped to help the injured driver.

“He got a pretty big smack to the head,” said Herron, who is trained in first aid. He said Nutt, who was lying on the ground next to the truck, showed signs of major head trauma. Herron said Nutt was able to sit up at first, but over then became increasingly disoriented and ultimately went into “extreme shock.”

Herron and another witness bandaged Nutt’s lacerations and attempted to stabilized his head and neck while they waited for paramedics to arrive. Emergency crews were on the scene within five or six minutes of the accident, Herron said, but by then Nutt was unable to speak.

Nutt was airlifted via helicopter to the trauma unit at San Jose Regional Medical Center.

CHP officer Jaime Rios said Nutt was still in the hospital but was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and suspicion of driving under the influence DUI.

The accident led to a major traffic jam, as authorities closed the right northbound lane of the highwayfor four hours as they cleared the scene and investigated the crash.

Accident #2

The second accident occurred shortly after 3 p.m., also on northbound Highway 101, north of Cochrane. A 1998 Honda Accord driven by a 66-year-old San Jose man crashed into a 2009 Chrysler Grand Caravan minivan driven by a 22-year-old Monterey woman. Rios said no one was hurt in the “fender bender” and there was just minor damage to both vehicles.

Accident #3

The third crash was a motorcycle accident at around 4:30 p.m., Morgan Hill police Sgt. Bill Norman said. A motorcycle driven by 49-year-old Rodney Rogers of Morgan Hill turned north (right) from Crowner Avenue onto Monterey Road and collided with a southbound Acura Integra.

Rogers was thrown off of the motorcycle and onto the windshield of the Acura. Even though he was wearing a helmet, Rogers suffered a major head injury and a broken left leg, Norman said. He was rushed to San Jose Regional Medical Center to be treated.

The Acura driver was not hurt.

Norman said preliminary reports showed that alcohol was a factor in the accident. He did not say which driver was suspected of being under the influence. The accident is under investigation.

Accident #4

The fourth accident of the day occurred at around 5:30 on southbound Highway 101, near the same spot of the first accident — south of Coyote Creek Golf Drive.

Officer Rios said a 2008 Honda Accord driven by a 41-year-old Gilroy man rear-ended a 2007 Honda Odyssey minivan driven by a 68-year-old man from Hanford, in stop-and-go traffic. The 2008 Accord was then rear-ended by a 2005 Honda Accord driven by a 59-year-old Hollister man.

A 65-year-old female passenger in the 2005 Honda Accord was taken to Saint Louis Regional Hospital with complaints of chest, neck and shoulder pain. No one else was injured.

Rios said no drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident.

Morgan Hill Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Tags: Blackman Legal Group, car accident lawyer, car accidents, Highway 101, motorcycle accident
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Dixon: Head Injury Kills Bicyclist Struck by Car on Highway 113

Monday, September 26th, 2011

A bicyclist suffered a fatal head injury after he was hit by a car in Dixon. (Photo: Dixon Patch)

A bicyclist died Sunday afternoon after he was struck by a car on Highway 113 in Dixon. His helmet broke and he suffered a fatal head injury.

• A bicyclist — who was wearing a helmet and a bright green visibility vest — was riding on the side of Highway 113 to the right of the fog line when he was struck from behind by a car driving at full speed.

• The impact threw the cyclist off his bike and onto the windshield of the car.

• The cyclist’s helmet broke. He suffered a fatal head injury and died at the scene.

The fatal bicycle accident occurred at around 2 p.m., according to a report in the Vacaville Reporter.

California Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Hekker said the 57-year-old cyclist — later idenitfied as Ryde resident Robert White – was riding his yellow bicycle northbound on Highway 113 at the time of the deadly collision.

White was wearing a helmet and a lime-green mesh visibility vest. Witnesses said he was riding on the white fog line on the right side of the lane, where bicyclists are supposed to be.

Just north of Cook Lane, a white 2003 Hyundai Tiburon — driven by 21-year-old Orange resident Taylor Boe — struck the White from behind. The force of impact knocked the cyclist off of his mountain bike and onto the windshield of the Hyundai.

White’s helmet broke and he sustained severe head trauma, Dixon firefighter Jarrod Infante told the Dixon Patch news site. Paramedics pronounced the cyclist dead at the scene.

Witnesses told the CHP that Boe was driving at or just above the speed limit of 55 miles per hour when he hit White from behind. Hekker said Boe is not suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. A toxicology test was ordered on the victim. Results will determine if the cyclist may have been under the influence, although that is not suspected at this time.

The accident is under investigation. Hekker said CHP officers still need to talk to a more witnesses before determining the cause. Anyone who witnessed this accident is urged to contact the CHP at 707-428 2100.

Bicycle Accident Statistics

More than 51,000 bicyclists were injured in collisions with motor vehicles on U.S. roads in 2009, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). Another 630 were killed. Those numbers are 12 percent lower than in 2008, but the statistics are still cause for concern.

The vast majority (70 percent) of bicycle fatalities in 2009 occurred in urban areas, which is understandable considering the volume of traffic. Most of the fatalities did not occur at intersections.

Almost three-fourths (72 percent) of the cyclists were killed during the day, between 4 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Here are more photos from the accident scene. Click on the thumbnail to see it full-size.

Dixon Bicycle Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have been representing bicycle accident victims and their families for more than 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Tags: bicycle accident, bicycle accident attorneys, bicycle fatality, Blackman Legal Group, fatal accident, fatal crash, fatal head injury, highway crash
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Half Moon Bay: Alcohol Likely Involved in Fatal Rollover Crash

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Authorities believe alcohol was a probably a factor in a single-vehicle car accident that killed a woman Monday afternoon when her car flipped over near Half Moon Bay.

• A 54-year-old woman left a friend’s house in a small sports car and never made it home.

• The car veered to the right, and then the woman overcorrected to the left and lost control of the car.

• The car went off the road, flipped over, and landed upside down. The woman suffered a severe head injury and died at the scene.

• Police believe alcohol was a factor.

The fatal rollover crash occurred shortly after 3 p.m., according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News.

California Highway Patrol officer Art Montiel said 54-year-old Gail A. Burnett, a resident of Half Moon Bay, was driving her 1971 MG convertible home from a friend’s house at the time of the crash.

Burnett was supposed to meet another friend, according to a report in the Half Moon Bay Review. But she never arrived.

She was driving northbound on Verde Road — a rural road east of coastal Highway 1 – when her car drifted to the right. Police believe she overcorrected to the left and lost control of the vehicle. The car went off of the road and then rolled over, landing upside down, Monteil said.

When Burnett didn’t arrive home, her friend who was waiting for her started walking down Verde Road to see what had happened. The friend discovered the crash scene south of Purisma Creek immediately called 911 for help.

Burnett suffered severe head injuries that proved to be fatal. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

Police said alcohol appeared to be a factor in the fatal accident, but they could not make a definite determination until the results of toxicology tests were released.

Monteil said the victim was wearing a seat belt.

Drunk Driving Statistics

Every 48 minutes someone in the United States dies in a motor vehicle accident that involves an alcohol-impaired driver, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Motorcyclists, people under 25, and drivers with prior DUI convictions are at greatest risk.

Here are the CDC’s numbers to show how big the problem really is:

In 2009, 10,839 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for a third (32 percent) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
Among the 1,314 traffic-related deaths among children (under age 14), 181 involved an alcohol-impaired driver.
Half of those 181 children who died in alcohol-related accidents were riding in the vehicle with the drunk driver.
In 2009, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. That’s less than one percent of the 147 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year.
Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are involved in about 18 percent of motor vehicle driver deaths. These other drugs are often used in combination with alcohol.

It is never safe to drink and drive.

Half Moon Bay Car Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident victims and their families for more than 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Tags: auto accident, Blackman Legal Group, driving under the influence, drunk driving accident, fatal accident, fatal car crash, fatal crash, fatal head injury, fatal injury, fatal rollover crash, head injury
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Several Injured in Multi-Vehicle Big-Rig Crash Near Dublin BART Tracks

Friday, September 16th, 2011

A truck driver suffered a serious head injury Friday in a big-rig crash that involved several vehicles on Interstate 580 near Dublin.

One passenger vehicle was wedged between the truck and the freeway barrier next to the BART tracks, which delayed commute traffic as well as train service for several hours.

• A big-rig driver said he did not see a bright yellow Mazda Protege on I-580 and crashed into it.

• The truck and the Mazda then crashed into two other vehicles and they all crashed into the center divide. The Mazda was wedged between the truck and a fence along the BART tracks.

• The truck driver sustained a serious head injury. The Mazda driver and another person were hospitalized with lesser injuries.

The accident occurred at about 2:30 p.m., according to a KTVU News report.

California Highway Patrol officer Steve Creel said a big-rig carrying 60,000 pounds of dirt crashed into a bright yellow Mazda Protege on eastbound I-580 between Dublin and Pleasanton. The truck driver was changing lanes and did not see the Mazda, Creel said.

On impact, both vehicles swerved to the left and hit two other cars — a Nissan and a Lexus.

The big-rig, Nissan and Mazda crashed into the center barrier, wedging the Mazda onto the fence next to the BART tracks that run between the West Dublin/Pleasanton and Castro Valley stations.

The Mazda driver and another person in one of the passenger vehicles were injured. They were taken to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, where they were treated for injuries that Creel described as minor.

Initial reports noted that the truck driver appeared to be more seriously injured, but the nature and extent of his injuries was not yet known. In a later article, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the truck driver sustained a serious head injury. He also was taken to Eden Medical Center to be treated.

The two left lanes of the freeway remained closed until after 5 p.m. and BART service experienced persistent but short delays through about 6:30.

The drivers were not identified in any of the reports.

Dublin Truck Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented truck accident victims and their families for more than 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Tags: accident lawyers, big rig accident, big-rig crash, Blackman Legal Group, Clifford Blackman, truck accident
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